


A Little Different

by lene14



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:02:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28823421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lene14/pseuds/lene14
Summary: James Sirius Potter. At 21 years old he's acheived almost nothing for himself.After leaving his family home ready to start a new life the Muggle way - and independent for once - James meets a Muggle girl opening her own flower shop.It's not quite love at first sight but its something. And the closer they get, the harder it is for James to keep his not-so-little wizarding secret to himself.
Relationships: James Sirius Potter/Original Character(s), James Sirius Potter/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

10th June, 21 years old.

He was late.

He was late again and he was already on thin ice. James quickly glanced towards the expensive leather watch on his hand.

Ten to twelve.

It was impossible; there was no chance he would make it now. Still, James pushed on. He knew better than to let down his father like this. His father had pulled every string imaginable that he could to get James onto the Auror programme 3 years ago despite his terrible grades at Hogwarts and he was already doing as much as he could to keep his son on the programme. The problem was James didn’t want to be there. He hated it, with a passion. Defence Against The Dark Arts was hardly his strong suit and truthfully he had no interest in following in his father’s footsteps to help and protect the wizarding world from unknown evils.

Quidditch was wanted James wanted to do. He was good at it; he loved it. But as fate allowed it, his quidditch career was not to be.

Checking the watch again, James feet moved faster.

Five minutes.

He was running through muggle London, past banks and shops and red brick buildings that were extravagant in design. He must have looked half insane like this. Darting through crowds of people that were milling about leisurely. Usually London was fast paced but right now James was faster.

He turned a corner, not caring now as he ran through the road to bypass the groups of people that were moving too slowly on the pavement for James now. Car and bus horns beeped as James hurried through the road, weaving between cars.

He was close now.

One more turn left and he would be there. Maybe he wouldn’t miss the exam and maybe, just maybe he would graduate from the Auror programme and he wouldn’t be a disappointment to his father.

Except that ‘maybe’ was not enough.

James rounded the corner up to the inconspicuous building that was the Auror headquarters. It looked almost exactly like any of the other muggle banks that lined these roads and for a moment James was in awe by the ability of the architects to replicate these muggle designs with ease on the outside. He loved muggle architecture. It fascinated James how muggles could create such extraordinary buildings without using a wand. It was like art to him. Pushing through the heavy, dark wood doors James was briefly hopeful that he had made it on time. However, as he looked around, he saw none of his fellow Aurors-in-training which indicated that he had missed the start of the exam. The final Auror exam which would determine whether of not he would graduate next month.

Instead in front of him he saw a wizard. Oscar Dunkeld. He was familiar to James from various family dinners and parties over the years. He had been the Head Auror before James’ father Harry and he was currently in charge of leading the training of Aurors and their transition into work. He was a family friend to the Potters, having mentored Harry in his first years as the Head Auror. Oscar Dunkeld was a deceptively stern looking man. His low, and usually creased brow, made him look imposing and the grey hair and downward turned lips gave him and intimidating appearance. In reality Oscar was a kindly spoken man with a gentle disposition and whilst growing up James had liked him a lot. Unfortunately, the look of disappointment on the older man right now told James that this conversation would be nothing like the chats they used to have when Oscar told him about the wizarding wonders of the world and the exciting adventures of being an Auror.

“Hello James,” he spoke with a sigh. “Lets head into my office, shall we?”

*

James fidgeted in his seat, pulling at a loose thread on the fabric of the chair.

“I don’t know what happened. Lost track of time, I guess.”

“James, this isn’t the first time this has happened, nor is it the second or even the third. I understand that you’re young and busy but your lack of respect in this instance is too much.”

James flinched at that. He hadn’t intended to disrespect anyone. Despite his couldn’t-care-less attitude James wasn’t a bad person. He believed that with an unwavering certainty.

“James, I can’t let you graduate now. You’ve missed the final exam and throughout the programme you’ve been given warning after warning and chance after chance. We only let it get this far for your father, James. Harry is a close friend of mine and I would’ve hated to have made an enemy out of him over your mistakes,” Oscar said coldly.

James felt his heart drop. It wasn’t like Oscar to be so unsympathetic. James was too used to the man giving him chances. Normally all it took was a short apology and a promise that he would amend his errors. But this time it was different. James had finally been cut off of the Auror programme and while he was hurt, he wasn’t exactly surprised. This had been a long time coming and James thought back to Oscar’s words. We only let it get this far for your father. James hated that. He hated the idea of riding off the back of his father’s success and fame and for a brief moment James hated Oscar for saying it. For saying what he always knew out loud. James knew that he would have been kicked off the Auror programme after the first month if it hadn’t been for his father. Everyone knew it but no one would dare say it to James’ face – only behind his back.

“Dating back to the beginning of the programme you’ve missed most of the training sessions and only completed 4 of the 12 exams you should have done,” Oscar stated whilst leafing through a file of papers on the desk in front of him. James cringed slightly at that – had they really needed to make a file on him.

“And our trainers have consistently commented on your bad attitude and less than sunny disposition when you have turned up,” the older man continued. “Really James? You realise this isn’t okay right?” Oscar broke from his professional persona to address James more directly.

“I know – and I’m sorry,” James replied but he really had nothing else to say. He couldn’t exactly tell Oscar how much he hated the course and how he felt a secret wave of relief wash over him knowing that he wouldn’t have to spend his life doing something he didn’t want to just to appease his parents.

“James look, this programme clearly doesn’t mean an awful lot to you and its pretty obvious you don’t enjoy it. Why did you sign up?”

He hadn’t wanted to. But with the combination of his miserable post-injury state at 18 years old and the incessant voices of his parents and the wizarding public in his ears James signed up for the Auror course using the persuasive voice to his dad to get him on the programme despite his low performance in his NEWTs.

James looked at Oscar blankly. He just couldn’t answer him. He couldn’t give Oscar the respect he deserved by giving him a reasonable answer.

“Go home James, find out what you want in life and do it. Don’t waste your time trying to please others.”

*

James walked up to the driveway outside his house pulling at his jacket for warmth. It was supposed to be summer but as the sun went down a chill set in and a soft breeze added a sharpness to the air. After he had been kicked off the programme, James had walked around muggle London for a while and found himself in a dingy bar in a rougher area of the city. He spent most of the night in the there drinking and rest walking back to his family home in the wizarding area of London. He had already taken a hangover potion which had been designed by his uncle George as part of his Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes store. It was a hybrid between a wit-sharpening potion and something extra that his uncle George had never fully explained. Either way it had mostly restored James to his senses despite how much he enjoyed the feeling of intoxication. However, what it hadn’t restored was the neat hair he had left the house with and the wide eyes which were now half closed and watery. It was obvious James had been drinking.

He approached the intricately carved door of his home and knocked. He crossed his fingers behind his back that it would be his mum that would answer. Hopefully she wouldn’t have found out yet but his dad would know. Of that he was certain.

Thankfully it seemed that Merlin had answered whatever prayers James had projected into the universe as when the door swung open, standing behind it was James’ mother – Ginny Weasley. In her older age Ginny’s once vibrantly orange had turned a slightly darker auburn and her eyes and lips were framed by the laughter lines on her face. Yet she hadn’t lost her fierceness. Ginny was still as fiery as she was in her youth and her familial instincts and increased tenfold after having three children which made her fiercely protective.

“Jamie honey – you’re back pretty late,” she spoke affectionately as she pulled James into the threshold and through the hallway into the kitchen. It was unclear whether she had noticed his prior drunkenness or not. Either she had and was choosing to ignore it or she was truly oblivious. “You sit and eat – I’ll call your dad down too," she smiled.

“No!” James interrupted, “Uh, leave him – he’s probably busy,” James finished weakly. James felt too mentally exhausted to deal with this now. He just wanted food and bed.

“Nonsense, sit and eat – he’s coming down,” Ginny replied firmly as her brown eyes sharpened, her fiery nature seeping through the cracks of her usually motherly disposition.

James swallowed thickly – all he wanted was food and bed.

*

James and Harry sat opposite one another on the table while James ate and Ginny sat beside Harry shifting uncomfortably at the tension which had permeated the room since Harry had taken one look at James.

“You two not eating?” James asked, hoping to get rid of the awkwardness.

Harry’s eyes narrowed.

“We ate earlier, honey,” Ginny explained kindly.

James nodded. Merlin this was awkward. Before James could lift another spoonful of the mush that his mother called soup to his mouth Harry exploded.

“YOU GOT KICKED OFF THE PROGRAMME?”

James closed his brown eyes. This was it.

“YOU DIDN’T TURN UP TO THE EXAM AND GOT KICKED OFF. MERLIN JAMES! AFTER EVERYTHING I DID TO KEEP YOU ON?”

“Calm down Harry, let’s just hear Jamie out,” Ginny spoke soothingly resting a hand on her husband's arm to calm him.

“WHY SHOULD I?” Harry continued his voice raising louder and face getting redder, “YOU CAN’T KEEP DOING THIS JAMES – MESSING UP AND EXPECTING SOMEONE ELSE TO FIX IT ALL. I CAN’T FIX THIS ONE JAMES.”

“I know,” James replied looking his father in the eyes, “I know you can’t fix this”

“THEN WHY DID YOU DO IT?” Harry fumed.

“I DON’T KNOW! WHY DID YOU MAKE ME SIGN UP IN THE FIRST PLACE? WHY DID YOU MAKE ME CARRY ON AFTER ALL THE TIMES I TOLD YOU I WANTED OUT? WHY DID YOU PUSH ME TO DO THIS EVEN THOUGH YOU KNEW I DIDN’T WANT TO?” James erupted in retaliation. He didn’t want to do this right now. Merlin all he had wanted was food and bed.

“GET OUT JAMES, LEAVE, FIX THIS YOURSELF BECAUSE I’M DONE TRYING TO HELP YOU” Harry roared.

Ginny gasped and James recoiled at the demand. That one hurt. All his life he had been coddled and comforted by his parents despite his numerous failures, in both academics and now his career, so to be told that he was on his own now - hurt. He had never lived alone and fell back on his parents for pretty much everything. When he needed money, he asked his parents, when he needed food he’d go to his parents. Every time he had been photographed by Witch Weekly drunk in a club, he went to his parents to pay the magazine off. He used their success comfortably despite the bitterness he felt towards his family situation. James hated being the son of Harry Potter but in his anger, instead of escaping the label and making something of himself he used it to the best of his advantage to clean up the consequences of his rebellion. He saw it as some twisted version of revenge. He didn’t ask for this life so they could solve the problems he made.

“Fine, I’ll go – I’ve been dying to get away from this place anyway,” he spat, trying to wound his father. Unfortunately, it was only his mother that took offense at to that one, the hurt displayed clearly on her face.

With an angry sigh James stood from the table, the scrape of the chair against the wooden floor sounding similar to nails across a chalkboard, and headed upstairs to pack his bags.

*

A/N

Hi,

This is my first attempt at writing and I'd really appreciate any constructive feedback and encouragement you can give me as readers. Please tell me what you like and dislike so I can improve and hopefully give you better chapters going forward. ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James moves in and remembers the past.

12th June, 21 years old.

James had always loved the muggle world. Everything about it. His parents had given him and his siblings a heavily magical upbringing. Ginny had grown up in a pure blood family and despite her father’s unusual love of all things muggle Ginny hadn’t passed much knowledge about muggles down to her children. Harry had grown up among muggles but his childhood was full of neglect so he had little to say about the muggle world too. It was a combination of his grandfather’s enthusiasm, his aunt Hermione’s in-depth knowledge and Muggle Studies at Hogwarts which cultivated James’ love of the muggle world.

It was this fascination that gave James the idea of leaving home to live a muggle life.

“You wanna live like a muggle?” Fred asked his face twisting in distaste.

“Yes,” James sighed, confirming for what felt like the hundredth time since telling his best friend and cousin what his plans were.

“And you’re sure about that? Like no magic?” Fred questioned seriously.

“It’s not like I’ll never pick up a wand again, I just want to get away from the wizarding world. There’s too much pressure here. Too many reporters waiting for me to trip up and too much here to go wrong. Muggles are simple creatures, right? I just wanna live like that,” James explained.

He had already found a cheap apartment on the outskirts of muggle London and using the muggle money that he had converted from his account with Gringotts Wizarding Bank, he had purchased it – furnishings included. James was already pretty impressed with himself. He would have never even though of doing something like this before the fight. Thinking back to it now made him angry. His mother had been begging him since that night not to leave – his father had been silent on the matter.

*

10th June, 21 years old

“Jamie please, you don’t need to leave,” Ginny pleaded with her son. “Your father didn’t mean what he said.”

Harry stood behind his wife his face blank as James threw clothes randomly into his bags, packing as much as he could to spend the night at Fred’s place. He knew that Fred would take him in at short notice. They were cousins but more than that they were best friends.

“Sure mum,” James replied sarcastically, nodding his head towards Harry who made no move to agree with his wife.

He was almost done now. He had all his stuff ready and all that was left was to get past his mum and get out the door. As James moved towards the exit Ginny stepped in front of him, the desperation on her face evident.

James softened, “Mum it’s about time I leave anyway, I’m 21 now and I’ve got nothing to show for myself. I’ll come back and visit and you can come by my place and I’ll even make you dinner so we don’t have to sit through another one of your mushy meals.”

Ginny flushed at the jab at her cooking. She didn’t have much culinary talent. Harry was the better cook out of the two.

“You’ll always have a place here – okay James?” she replied tenderly.

“I know mum.”

*

James and Fred walked up to the apartment. It was in a fairly nice area. There were trees and bushes with tiny white flowers and a park a short walk down the road. It was the type of place that a family would live in. But James was alone now.

“So, this is it?” Fred asked playing with a tight curl on his head, pulling it and letting it spring back.

“Yep, just need to drive my car over and then we’re done,” James beamed.

James loved his car. His muggle fascinations extended further than just general knowledge. As soon as James had turned seventeen, he had begged his parents for driving lessons and after many attempts James passed the test. His 7th test.

James’ first big spend had been his car. His cherry red Chevrolet Impala. James remembered his parents being angry at the time that he had purchased the car out of his savings behind their back but it was worth it. Still is.

"How did you even get this place on such short notice again?" Freddie pondered as he looked up building jealousy shining in his eyes. Fred had been living with his parents and sister since leaving Hogwarts and it looked liked he would be for the forseeable future.

"I told you - a little confundus charm solves everything," James responded cheekily.

Fred hoped that was a joke.

Walking through the apartment, James realised how small it was. There was one of everything – one bedroom, one kitchen, one bathroom and one living room. One person. Lonely was all he thought. It looked lonely.

James picked up his wand, the pale piece of wood light and cold against his fingers, and the plastic bin beside him. “Accio dust,” he called and suddenly all the tiny grey specks of dust left around the apartment came zooming towards the bin James had to hand. At least it looked a little fresher now. James continued his tour around the apartment stopping in the bedroom where Fred was pulling picture frames out of an old cardboard box.

“Hey Jamie, remember this?” Fred laughed, throwing James a small frame to catch. The picture was taken in their 6th year at Hogwarts. It was the Gryffindor Quidditch Team in their red and gold robes with smiles on their faces as they celebrated another victory against Hufflepuff. James had been promoted to team captain that year. His versatility as a player and leadership skills made him the obvious choice to captain the team. James was a keeper primarily but he played well as a chaser and seeker too. Fred had always been a beater – and a good one at that. He was broad and muscular which helped him excel in the role. James was leaner and taller; he wasn’t made of pure muscle mass like his cousin but his athleticism and coordination made him an excellent keeper. So excellent that he had been on track to go pro after he left Hogwarts. He had scouts attend his every game and even practices from his 5th year onwards. Everyone expected James to be the focus of the quidditch world post Hogwarts. Teams were vying for his attention, desperate to take on such a skilled player. James loved quidditch precisely for that reason. No one wanted him because he was Harry Potter’s son – they wanted him because he was good, great even.

Until the accident. In his 7th year during the first match against Ravenclaw, James fell. Falling off your broom wasn’t uncommon in quidditch. It happened often in fact and there were spells put in place to keep people safe when such instances occurred. But on this occasion, there wasn’t.

James fell from hundreds of feet in the air without any of the usual boundaries put in place to stop the players falling. Luckily, a spectator had thought fast and cast a spell on James when he was just meters away from the floor. It had cushioned his landing but only slightly and James still broke multiple bones after he made impact. With the help of magical healing James had recovered from most of his injuries within a few weeks. But the trauma was still there. James couldn’t get on a broom anymore without remembering every second of that fall. The tipping motion he felt as the bludger hit his shoulder and he began to slip away from his broom. The cheers from the opposing side as he began to fall and then the shocked cries as he didn’t stop falling.

Unconsciously James reached into his back pocket to pull out a cigarette.

“You okay mate?” Fred asked uneasily, seeing the fear on his friends face and realising what he was remembering.

“Yeah fine – just need a minute,” James replied with a lump in his throat as he dashed out of the apartment.

James still remembered the first time he smoked.

*

14th July, 17 years old

James had been in the Hospital Wing for a week now. The nurses, his friends, family, and even the scouts had been coming in and out throughout the past few days to see his progress. Honestly, he was feeling pretty much fine physically. His bones had healed and he was almost back to having a full range of motion. Yet he still heard whispers in the air about his future.

“Will he ever fly again?”

“Who would get on a broom after that?”

“They might be able to fix his body, but his fear? – No chance he’s flying again, not after that.”

It scared him – that they might be right. James’ mind shut down at the thought of getting on a broom and he wasn’t sure if he would fly again either.

The stress had caught up to him. He had picked up a cigarette that night in the Hospital Wing and lit it up for the first time in his life. Maxine Barkley had given him the pack at a party in the Gryffindor common room once but he had been too scared to try any. Maxine was a muggle and rumours said that she had been stealing packs off of her older sister and smoking since she was fourteen. James wasn’t sure how much of that was true but either way he took the cigarettes when she had offered them and pretended, he had smoked them the next time she saw him. In reality he had kept them under his bed. He never really intended to smoke them though. Until now.

“James?”

It was Fred. James quickly turned, the cigarette still hanging between his lips as he puffed the smoke out the window.

“I’m stressed Freddie. It’s just for the stress, I swear it,” he promised panickily.

“Don’t worry about it – you don’t need to explain yourself to me,” Fred answered solemnly despite the initial shock on his face. Smoking wasn’t as common in the wizarding world as it was among muggles and they had both learned the potential consequences of it in a Muggle Studies class last year. But Fred wasn’t one for judgment.

They shared a hug that night as James breathed shakily, worrying about the future. That night James knew that Fred was a life line that would be there for him – whatever happened.

*

As the smoke curled up into the air James looked around.

He was standing outside now, observing the neighbours as they went about their daily lives. It soothed him to see other people happy, to hear the birds in the air and the leaves rustling in the slight breeze that had picked up.

As he scanned the area James saw a short blonde woman by the flower bushes he had seen earlier. She was touching the flowers delicately – as if she was afraid to tear them, and leaning forward to sniff them. She took in a deep breath, her eyes closing and her lips turning up at the corners to smile, clearly enjoying whatever scent was filling her senses. Slowly she began to pull away and then – “Achoo!”.

She sneezed.

James snorted with laughter at the sight. Why sniff flowers if you’re allergic? He watched as she sniffled softly and eventually moved on away from the bushes, continuing along the road until she was out of sight.

“Hey – you okay now?” Fred had stepped out beside James, clasping a hand over his shoulder and giving it a brief squeeze. “I’m sorry by the way, I shouldn’t have given you that photo.”

“It’s not your fault. Just something I have to get over, I guess. I’m never playing again so why even think about what could have been?” James said sadly.

“It’s okay to think about it Jamie – to get upset about it, angry even. It’s healthy,” Fred responded, settling into the therapist role he often took on when this topic came up.

“Let’s leave it. C’mon I just moved out – let’s get wasted,” James exclaimed a fake smile plastered on his face.

*

James and Fred decided to go to the bar they often frequented – The Glorious Weasel. It was located in the middle of wizarding London and it was pretty popular despite the dire name and the dire alcohol they served.

“Hey look – it’s the Glorious Weasley!” Fred called out as Victorie and Teddy came in.

“Shut up Fred!” Victorie rolled her eyes in frustration whilst Teddy just laughed and pulled at one of her long golden ringlets in a teasing manner.

“James, how’re you doing mate?” Teddy said in his naturally loud and boisterous voice. Teddy and James had always been close. James had looked up to Teddy from a young age, seeing him as an older brother figure despite their lack of shared blood.

“I’m great, you heard the news? I’m a new man. I’ve moved out!” James matched Teddy’s tone as they hugged and laughed together.

“To live like a muggle?” Victorie questioned, a hint of amusement in her voice as she held back what seemed like a laugh. “Yeah, we heard, sounds like a pretty terrible idea to me.  
Getting a muggle job? Living without magic? Good luck Jamie.” She snickered.

James’ smile dropped as he feigned sadness, “Vicky, you wound me,” he clutched his chest theatrically. “I’m not giving up magic – just living a simpler life let’s say” he replied.

James looked over to Teddy for some back up but he was busy staring a Victorie adoringly as she quirked an eyebrow at James. It was almost embarrassing how in love they were James suspected that Teddy’s heart-eyes had little to do with Victorie’s veela blood. They were truly soulmates and while James cringed at their public displays of affection, he was glad that Teddy had found someone that could truly call family. And while he would never admit it, he secretly wished he could find someone to be in love with. It was the hopeless romantic in him.

“Anyway – shots anyone?” Fred turned back to the small group, shot glasses in hand filled with whatever probably poisonous liquid the place was serving tonight. The cheeky grin on his face said it all. Tonight, wouldn’t be one they would remember.

“Cheers!”

*

13th June, 21 years old

“Ugh shit,” James hissed as he rolled over in his bed. Blinking away the dark spots in his vision James stretched and groaned as the pounding headache settled in. He reached up to hold his head, his fingers coming across the post-it note that had been left on his head by Fred the night before.

Morning James

You were a mess last night so Teddy and I brought you home.  
1st on the agenda today – GET A JOB (a muggle one)

Yours truly,  
Freddie

James moaned gutturally as he sat up. A muggle job. Where do you find one of those?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James gets a job and visits home.

13th June, 21 years old

As James bounded down the front steps of his house towards his car, he noticed that the weather seemed brighter today. Perhaps it would be a better day altogether. Passing the car with an affectionate stroke of the hood James reached the pavement. He had opted to walk today, valuing the fresh air and warm sun on the back of his neck. His light wash denim jacket felt unusually light on his shoulders and James had to check to make sure he had his wand at first.

10 inches, cypress wood, unicorn hair core.

The feeling of the wood against his fingers reminded him of Hogwarts. James had always been a bright kid but he performed less than well at Hogwarts. It was part of his rebellion – he just didn’t care enough to try. James’ subjects of choice at school were Muggle Studies, Arithmancy and Herbology. They involved the least amount of wand action which was ideal for James who preferred minimal effort. He’d rather be spending his time with Freddie playing pranks on the first and second years using his never-ending supply of fanged frisbees courtesy of the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. James had often gotten into trouble back at Hogwarts for getting up to no good. But who could really blame him? He was related to a Marauder; the Golden Trio and greatest prankster duo Hogwarts had ever seen! Of course, he was a natural trouble maker.

Whilst musing on his days in Hogwarts James realised how little chance, he had of getting a muggle job – or any job really. He only had his OWLs and some pretty underwhelming NEWTs. He was fairly certain that nowhere in the muggle world would accept those as legitimate qualifications and that posed a problem. How would he get a job?

*

After walking into a sequence of random shops and offering his services James realised that muggles didn’t take to kindly to his unusual form of a job application.

“I can do anything you need me to!” James offered.

“What? No! Get out of here you strange boy,” the little old lady at the sweet shop ordered with a stern look on her face. James’ face fell at the direct rejection. 

With the bounce in his step deadened now by his repeated failures, James continued on hopelessly. As he walked a figure caught his eye. She was short, her blonde hair tied back in a low and messy bun. The white shirt she was a little too big on her so it hung awkwardly off her left shoulder. She was carrying a wooden crate, with was looked like glass vases, perilously while she huffed in frustration. Looking further James saw her walking towards a half boarded up shop the door held open by another crate – this time filled with books. 

“You need any help?” James called out.

The girl jumped and shrieked at the voice, almost dropping the crate on her toes. 

“Jesus,” she exclaimed, “Um sorry?”

She looked at James nervously, hoping he would repeat the sentence she had clearly missed, but he was too busy pondering who this Jesus guy was and what he had to do with the situation. James shook off his confusion and plastered a wide grin onto his face. He ignored her previous words and grabbed one of the crates that was still on the pavement waiting to be lifted. 

“Let me help,” he offered.

She stood blankly, unsure of how to respond. Eventually, nodding her head towards the door of the shop for James to follow, she started walking stiffly. He stepped after her into the building looking around his nose scrunched up. It looked dark and dusty and completely empty other than the few boxes on the ground already.

“So what is this place?” James asked, trying to make conversation.

“A flower shop,” the girl answered proudly; for the first time the crease between her eyebrows evened out as she looked at James, “Well it’s going to be at least – I’m a florist”  
“A what?” James asked, he hadn’t heard of any florists in the wizarding world.

“A florist,” she spoke to him, less certain all of a sudden, “You know, someone that arranges and sells flowers.”

“Right,” James nodded as if he had a clue what she was saying. Plants in the wizarding world were either maintained by magic or were magic themselves. He didn’t know that muggles did all of that by hand. “So – if you’re opening a shop, you might need employees? I’m looking for a job, my name’s James,” he introduced himself charmingly, praying to Merlin that she would say yes.

The girl put the crate on the floor, blowing the stray hairs out of her face. For the first time James got a good look at the girl. She had soft features and huge, wide blue eyes. The roots of her hair seemed darker than the ends and James briefly wondered if it was dyed. The girl stood stiffly, hesitant to respond. It seemed to James that she was fighting with her own mind as her face twisted and scrunched up – going through various expressions before it settled into an uncertain smile.

“I’m Nova,” she said, “And I’m pretty desperate for some help around here. So, you’re hired, I guess.” 

“When do I start?”

*

James pulled the car up to his parents’ house and got out leisurely. Before he had even started towards the entrance the door swung open and his mother stood there beaming.  
“Jamie, honey, come in!” she exclaimed, “your brother and sister are visiting for the weekend, I’ve told them all about you moving out!”

James blanched at that. Him, Albus and Lily all in the same room – a nightmare. He got along fairly well with his siblings up until they hit puberty and then all of a sudden came the snide comments and teasing and pinching. 

“I’m just here to let you know I got a job mum, there’s no need to call Al and Lils over.”

“James? A job?” Lily called out incredulously, “I must be living in an alternate reality.”

Lily stepped out from behind Ginny, her vibrant orange hair slightly frizzing around her face. Of all the 3 siblings, Lily looked most like a Wotter child. She strongly resembled their mother and matched her in temperament too. But she had Harry’s bravery – Lily feared nothing. For most, Gryffindor fearlessness was a virtue but in reality, it was just recklessness. Lily feared no consequences and she wasn’t intimidated at all by anyone. Albus, the middle child, was a weird one. He excelled in academics but had a very blank persona. Like he had all the secrets in the world but no desire to share them. His porcelain pale face and dark brown hair gave him the appearance of a heartbreaker – and rumours told James that it was true. Even to James teenage Albus was a mystery. 

Albus emerged from the living room behind Lily and unimpressed look on his face. He was wearing his full uniform, apart from the robes, and his green and silver tie was neatly resting at the base of his neck. 

“Can we get this family dinner over with? I wanted to be back at Hogwarts by eight,” Albus spoke plainly.

It was only then that James noticed Lily was also in her uniform – the only difference was that she sported a red and gold quidditch jumper with the Gryffindor logo stitched into the front. 

“I told them they could stay for the weekend but they both seem desperate to get back. I’m starting to think they both have special someone’s they want to get back to,” Ginny teased the younger siblings.

James noticed how Albus flushed slightly red at that and he snorted in laughter. Perfect blackmail material. Lily just rolled her eyes and responded, “Quidditch practice Mum.”

*

The family of five sat awkwardly around the table as they ate. Harry cooked this time so dinner was infinitely better than usual. James and Harry had equally sour looks on their faces as they ate, Lily and Albus looked bored and Ginny was doing her best to encourage conversation. 

“So, James. Where are you working?” Ginny asked pleasantly.

“A flower shop. I’m starting next week officially but the owner needs a little extra help setting up so I’ll probably drop past tomorrow,” James replied, the tension in the air still palpable. 

Nobody spoke again for a few minutes. James hated that he had made things weird here. Family dinners at the Potter household were usually filled with laughter and teasing, not silence and more silence. 

“Lils,” Harry spoke, clearing his throat with a cough, “How’s quidditch going?”

“Great!” she enthused, “We just played Slytherin and our team was losing but I managed to catch the snitch and save the game!”

Albus added, “People reckon she’s the new Potter prodigy with quidditch.”

James flinched a little at that. That was supposed to be his place. He was the one that was meant to be playing in huge stadiums and at the Quidditch World Cup. He loved his sister; he truly did but he couldn’t find it in himself to be happy for her. He felt like he was missing out on something.

Lily caught James’ eye as she noticed his mood drop even lower than before. She quickly spoke up to change the subject.

“Anyway, did you hear the news? Teddy and Vic have announced a date for the wedding!”

James dropped his fork. Teddy never said anything the other night. Or maybe he did and James was just too drunk to notice. He’d have to ask him about that.

Suddenly everyone at the table was talking over one another, sharing their excitement and happiness for the couple despite them not even being there. It reminded James of how important family was to him and as he saw he smiles on his siblings faces and the pride in his parents’ eyes he felt the awkward weight lift from his shoulders. Teddy was like a brother to the James, Albus and Lily and like a son to Harry and Ginny so the reactions were unsurprising.

The night continued on - now significantly less uncomfortable than it had been earlier, filled with laughter and smiles.

*

14th June, 21 years old

James heaved dramatically as he lifted the box of books onto the counter. He peeked his head into the box, his messy brown hair hanging slightly into his eyes, and saw dozens of old leather-bound books in reds and browns and greens, decorated elaborately with gold and silver lettering and patterns.

“And what does all this have to do with flowers exactly?” James called out loudly, his voice echoing through the shop while Nova stood outside cleaning the floor to ceiling windows which provided the view into the building.

“Nothing really – they’re mostly just for me. They were my parents but I took them with me before I left.”

Her, what James assumed was a naturally, nervous disposition had eased up slightly at the discussion of the books. Nova’s eyes were glazed over as she spoke and a soft look was on her face.

“You left home recently?” James continued, making an effort to keep up the conversation. 

“Yeah – to come here, I guess. Do my own thing.” 

James nodded solemnly at that. The two were clearly worlds apart but similar in some sense.

They carried on unpacking in silence. James wasn’t keen to push into her family life. The more they talked, the more she would expect back from him – and James couldn’t risk letting anything slip about the world he lived in. About magic. Since the war the Ministry had become even more strict about letting the secret out. James’ Aunt Hermione had always criticised their approach as regressive but the Ministry of Magic wanted no extra responsibilities outside of their own. In other words, they didn’t want to protect more people if another wizard like Voldemort emerged. 

Another 30 minutes later, the silence became unbearable and James had to speak. It wasn’t in his nature to be like that – just quiet. James preferred almost any kind of noise to silence. Just something to fill the gaps.

“Looks like we’re nearly done,” James pointed out what was clearly obvious. 

The boxes had all been emptied and now the inside of the shop was done. The large wooden counter was set up with an old, well used till and the shelves around the store were filled to the brim with old silver buckets – the flowers weren’t there yet as Nova had said they would be wilted by the time of the opening in a few days. It seemed blatantly obvious to James that there were spells to uphold the quality of the flowers but he held himself back from speaking, knowing that his knowledge of herbology and Nova’s knowledge of floristry were quite different. The dark wood bookshelf which took up an entire wall was mostly filled with books – some spaces left open for vases where the flower arrangements would be. In the centre of the space was a large round table which again was to be decorated with boxes of flowers. James wasn’t particularly interested in flora but even he was excited to see the outcome of the shop on the day of opening. 

The outside of the shop had already been painted – an earthy green with a dark wood sign that read ‘Bloom’, the letters in a bold white. More silver buckets were placed out front and a wooden frame arched over the door, tiny white flowers and green leaves already intertwining with the frame.

“Jasmine,” Nova had answered when James asked what the flowers were on the outside.

“It’s a strong climber,” she continued about the plant, “It’s fragrant too – a romantic flower some say.” Her eyes were dreamy as she talked and James quickly realised how much she loved the flora she was surrounded by.

Achoo! 

Again – she sneezed and James remembered the girl he had seen just days earlier. It must have been her.

“You’re allergic?” he asked, an eyebrow quirked as he looked pointedly from Nova to the jasmine which arched elegantly above the door.

The tips of Nova’s ears turned red under the loose strands of hair which gathered around her face. “It’s only mild,” she said defensively as her lips shaped into a pout. James laughed aloud, smiling endearingly at her predicament. She must have really loved these flowers.

*

James arrived back home later that evening without the usual tension in his shoulders. He enjoyed spending time with Nova – she knew nothing of the pressures that typically weighed down on him. She was a stranger to the world of magic and she knew nothing about the family from which he came from. James was glad for that – he needed it.  
He picked up the phone that Fred had helped him buy the day he moved in. Despite James’ love of all thing’s muggle had hadn’t never purchased a phone – well not with the intention of using it at least. He had been given a phone by his grandfather as an early teen but it was built like a brick and had very few functions – James had loved looking at it but was clueless on how to use it. The phone that he and Freddie had bought though was sleek and easy to use. It didn’t take long for James to find the contacts he already had in his phone. Fred had input the numbers of all the family that had phones – which meant Teddy, Vic, Rose, Hugo, Roxanne and himself really. As James scrolled through the contacts he came to stop on Nova’s number. 

“This is the number of the shop, a-and mine,” she had stuttered a little, “just in case you need it.”

He smiled to himself at the memory and made a mental note to use her number – often. Brushing his own thoughts away James pressed on Teddy’s contact, wanting to hear for himself about the wedding date announcement.

“Teddy!” James exclaimed as his god-brother picked up the phone on the other end. 

“Hey Jamie,” Teddy replied, matching his tone as always. 

The two spoke for a while, about everything and anything. James told Teddy about Nova and the shop and Teddy talked about work and Victorie. Eventually the topic of the wedding came up.

“October – the date’s set mate, 4 months to go.”

“An autumn wedding then? Have you planned for the rain?” James joked. 

“It’s inside James,” Teddy deadpanned and James could practically see his eyes rolling.

“Is everything planned then?” James spoke, more serious now. 

“Yeah,” Teddy affirmed, “Location, date, food, decorations, dress – all we need to tick off the list are flowers, invitations and cake.”

“Flowers,” James mused, “I heard jasmine’s pretty romantic.”

“And what would you know about romantic flowers James?” Teddy cackled. Before James could respond he was already continuing. “Anyway,” his voice had gone quieter now a contrast to his usually bold and energetic tone, “I wanted to ask. Will you be my best man?” 

James didn’t even stop to think before he exclaimed, “Of course!”

He and Teddy were brothers. Perhaps not by name or blood – but bond. And James truly couldn’t be happier to share this moment with him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Fred plan to get drunk.

17th June, 21 years old

It was brighter today than it had been in weeks. The golden sun streamed in through James’ red curtains, casting an orange glow onto the rest of his room. The beam of light highlighted his wardrobe specifically – on which his golden and red Gryffindor tie was hanging. It hadn’t been a surprise to James or anyone that knew him when he was sorted into Gryffindor on his first day at Hogwarts. It was a memorable moment in his life.

*

1st September, 11 years old

“Hmm – Potter?” the hat whispered, intrigued at the new development. James felt the sorting hat pick through his brain as he sat confidently. He knew he was a Gryffindor and so did everyone around him. Deep down he knew that he bled red and gold. 

“Bright but not too brainy, fiercely loyal with a streak of rebellion... Yes, Master Potter I can see the resemblance,” the hat mused.

“To my dad?” James questioned bravely. He hadn’t noticed anyone before speak to the hat and he wasn’t even sure if it was allowed but he was curious. Waiting for the answer, James’ eyes darted around the hall seeing the hundreds of students watching in anticipation to find out where the son of the saviour of the wizarding world would be sorted. For the first time James was exposed to the type of pressure that would follow him throughout the rest of his teenage years. During his childhood his parents, for the most part, had successfully shielded him from the eyes of the public and James lived like any normal kid. But at Hogwarts – he was alone. His parents weren’t there anymore to keep him blissfully unaware of the eyes that watched his every move.

“No – your grandfather James. Your namesake,” the hat interrupted James’ thoughts.

James pondered that. He reminded the hat of the original James Potter. All throughout his childhood James had heard stories about his grandfather and the Marauders. They were legends among the students at Hogwarts and if the school had a hall of fame James was certain that they would have been featured. Their reputation as legendary pranksters had given them timeless stardom – the inventors of the Marauder’s Map and the first few to use the invisibility cloak for some not so virtuous reasons. 

All James’ life he had been compared to his father, Harry. To hear from the hat that he bore more resemblance to his grandfather was new to James but not necessarily surprising. James was a trickster like his namesake and he was playful and passionate. Everything that his grandfather had been.

“GRYFFINDOR” the hat boomed. James was shaken from his thoughts at the announcement and he stood on unsteady legs as he got ready to walk towards the long wooden table that was decorated with red and gold accents. The students on the Gryffindor table cheered and applauded James wildly at the declaration whilst the other students in the room clapped slightly less enthusiastically. In the distance James could see 7th year Teddy clapping with a wide grin on his face – the head boy badge shining on his Hufflepuff robes as he stood and gave James a thumbs up from the back of the room. On the same table James could see his cousin Victorie who was in her 5th year. She beamed at James – the gap between her teeth visible to James even despite the distance. His other two cousins Molly and Lucy – in their 3rd and 2nd years respectively – were also stood among the students. Molly was a Hufflepuff like the others but Lucy was a Gryffindor. Her welcoming face was what spurred James into movement as he hurried off the platform down to the table. He passed Fred on his way down who was nervously chewing on the sleeve of his robe, anxious to find out his fate – and secretly hoping for the same one as James.  
James gave him a comforting smile as he passed, walking towards the house that would become home for him for the next 7 years.

*

“Hey James,” Nova asked timidly as she chewed her pen and analysed the man before her with speculative eyes. She had been pouring over the inventory book for the last 15 minutes with a narrowed look. The wrinkles on her forehead as she concentrated looked cute, James had noted – and the scrunch of her nose as she focused was even cuter. 

“Can you check the flowers out back? I’ve got a couple of arrangements to make up before we open shop after I sort all this out,” she trailed off towards the end, huffing slightly in frustration.

James jumped out of his daydreaming at her request and agreed instantly.

“Yes Ma’am,” he teased with a playful salute. Nova blushed at his charm and smiled awkwardly at him as he walked through the door in the back wall of the store.  
James stepped into the strange greenhouse set up that was the back-room with slight trepidation. Nova had been yet to ask him to handle any flowers without her supervision and he was mostly kept around for the heavy lifting and general organisation of the decorations in the main room. The room was covered in flowers and chilled in such a way to lengthen the livelihood of the stock. James wandered around the room not even sure what he was really looking for in the flowers until he came across a single bunch of roses which seemed to be drooping. Their colour had dulled from its usual vibrance and the petals hung lower than they were meant to. James had learnt this from Nova’s lightning speed lessons which she spontaneously erupted into whenever he appeared to be handling anything incorrectly – which was pretty often.

Now it was James’ turn to be frustrated. He didn’t concentrate much in Herbology – he enjoyed the practical lessons with the handling of the plants but most of the textbook lessons were for messing around with Fred as far as the cousins were concerned. 

“Where’s Albus when you need him?” James muttered lowly to himself as he raked a hand through his barely styled hair and squinted. Albus loved herbology – and he was pretty good at it too. Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures was where the younger’s talent lies. Whereas for James it had always been Quidditch first, studies second but after the accident academics took an even greater fall on his list of priorities. He combed through his memory for some kind of spell that might fix this problem as he reached under his jacket to pull out his wand.

“Herbivicus?” he guessed in a hushed tone. 

Nothing happened.

But he could practically hear his Aunt Hermione’s voice as she scolded him.

“James stop being so hesitant! When you cast a spell, remember – shoulders back, voice loud! You control the magic. Now again! But more confident!” 

Like a child again, James adjusted his posture, pressing his shoulders back and checking that Nova wasn’t in hearing distance.

“Herbivicus!”

James stepped back; eyes wide as the roses sprung back to vitality right before his eyes – but they didn’t stop there. The bunch of flowers were now larger, more vibrant and more beautiful than they had been originally. Maybe James was just stunned but he even saw a slight glitter to the petals as he inspected them.

“Hey did you say something?” Nova bounded in, the tips of her blonde hair bouncing around her shoulders with her blue eyes wide. 

“Huh? No – its just – the flowers,” James responded nervously as he pointed pathetically towards the roses.

Nova paused as she caught sight of the roses and James prayed to Merlin above that it wasn’t obvious, he had done anything. 

“Wow the roses – they look amazing James! I could have sworn they were dying this morning” she spoke in awe examining the petals that, even in the dim light, glimmered with every movement. 

“How did you do that?” her head cocked inquisitively and even in the panic James was captivated by her innocently sweet gaze.

“Uh - just a magic touch I guess” he replied feebly.

Nova’s lips quirked up at the corners, “Guess I’ll be sending you into the back room more often then – to work your magic touch,” she spoke shyly and James swore he felt his knees go weak.

*

3rd July, 21 years old

Over the next few weeks James spent a lot of his time in the back-room of the shop tending to the flowers while Nova worked on arrangements and dealt with customers. Truth be told it was pretty boring, James cast the customary spells and spent the rest of his work hours sat on a stool in the corner of the room sparking up his wand occasionally for entertainment. Whenever he heard footsteps he sprang into action and pretended he had any idea what he was doing while Nova gave his assurances.

“James you’re a natural – I don’t get how you do it, maybe the flowers just like you,” she grinned, “You’ll have to show me your secret sometime.”

Yeah there’s no chance, James had thought to himself.

Nova had only asked James to work mornings – 7:00am to 11:00am to help her tend to the flowers and organise arrangements but she handled most of the customers which James was thankful for since, despite his natural charm, he wasn’t great at answering flora-based inquiries. 

It was approaching the end of James’ shift and in his boredom, he had been leaning on one of the frames that was installed for the climbing flowers when he heard a sudden snap and crash and felt himself fall sideways. He had broken the frame. Shit.

The crash seemed to almost echo around the premises and James found himself cringing at the noise. It certainly sounded far worse than it was. He assessed the damage with critical eyes seeing petals and dirt strewn messily on the floor.

“James? Are you okay?” he heard Nova call. He would have found the slight waver of concern in her voice cute had it not been for the dire situation he had placed himself in.   
He dug around for his wand a panicked expression on his face which deflated into something like relief as he grasped the springy wood. 

“Ye-yep,” he stuttered, “Just tripped.”

He breathed nervously as his eyes flickered between the door and the floor where splintered sections of wooden frame and dirt and petals were strewn on the floor. He distantly heard the bell of the shop ring and voices leave the premises which indicated that Nova’s customer had left.

“Reparo!” he commanded and he watched as the wood spring back into formation cleanly. That was one issue solved.

He heard the faint sound of the till closing.

“Scourgify,” he enunciated next, and the dirt and petals disappeared instantly. The flowers that were left behind and had been loosely attached to the broken frame before James’ hasty repair were lacklustre in appearance but he wasn’t sure how to solve that exactly.

He heard the cautious steps of his boss approach the door, no doubt expecting to walk into a ruin of her most adored possessions. 

“Herbivicus!”

The spell was hurried but it seemed to do the job, as the flowers, which James didn’t know the name of, were restored to some semblance of livelihood. He breathed out in relief as the door swung open where Nova looked nervously around the room. 

She similarly breathed out a sigh of relief but James was too flustered to notice that it hadn’t been the flowers she was inspecting for damage – it had been him.  
“You’re okay.” She stated in a relieved tone.

“Uh – yeah,” James spoke distractedly trying to discreetly slip his wand back in his jeans. “And – uh – your flowers are too.”

Nova looked to James’ right for the first time. 

“Oh wow James! The clematis looks great.”

James nodded cluelessly as if he had any idea what a ‘clematy’ was. But he was still pleased at the smile that decorated her features.

And the longer he gazed at her smile as she delicately crouched to the level of the growing climbing flower, taking the waxy petals gently between her fingers, the more he noticed the fluttering in his abdomen which seemed make his entire being tingle. James’ ears began to flush red underneath his messy mop of dark hair, which had become even more unruly in his panic, as he realised what that sensation meant.

He had a crush.

*

5th July, 21 years old

Fred was lounging on the sofa in James’ living room inspecting the newest collection of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes when James entered the house. 

“Uh – how are you in here?”

Without looking to face his cousin, Fred raised his hand where he held the spare key. Despite his questioning, James was unsurprised to Fred in his home; his cousin had always had a talent for invading his personal space. As children Fred had often hid in James’ room when he and his sister were visiting, hoping that if no-one could find him then he wouldn’t have to go home. Even at Hogwarts when they had both been sorted into Gryffindor and shared dorms, Fred spent most of his time lazing around on James’ bed. That was until fifth year when Fred learned about the less than innocent things that had taken place on James’ bed. 

Throughout fifth and sixth year James took full advantage of his family name to flirt with as many girls as he could. He had a long string of girlfriends at Hogwarts and Fred wasn’t dissimilar. In his seventh year, however, James became much more selective about his relationships and that was when he had his first proper girlfriend.   
Margaret ‘Maggie’ Denwake. She was a Ravenclaw and Head Girl that year. She had supermodel beauty – which seemed to come in handy now that James saw her modelling for wizarding clothing brands around the world. She was very intelligent and composed – yet none of his admittedly huge family seemed to like her. After each unsuccessful introduction to another member of his family, James recalled reassuring her that the next one would love her. They never did. Not even his Nana Molly could muster up more than a tense smile when they met which said a lot. Eventually, it caused too much tension between the couple and they had broken up last year. James felt immensely guilty about it – he always felt that his family blamed Maggie for his downward spiral into rebellion which in truth had nothing to do with her. She had been unfortunately swept up in the disaster that was James’ teen years but he seemed to be the only one that saw her was an unassuming bystander in that period of his life. Even Fred and Teddy, his closest friends, insisted to James that she wasn’t good for him. He just couldn’t see it – no matter what. 

It had hardly mattered in the end because James had been a terrible boyfriend. He had no idea how Maggie had lasted 3 years with him but he had a lot of admiration for her patience. 

“What’re you working on?” James asked, curiously looking over at the sprawl of products on his coffee table.

Fred exhaled loudly.

“Dad said if I want to take over the shop in a few years, I need to start inventing some new products of my own. He wants me to do a pitch in a month, in front of all the staff,” he spoke nervously, “Apparently I need to prove that I’ll be a decent owner, but...”

“But what?” James replied.

“But I have nothing!” Fred exclaimed, “Absolutely nothing!”

James examined the products in more detail this time and noticed that none of these were new. They were all past products of the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes collection – some of their bestsellers James noted. 

“Freddie, we are prank legends,” James stated matter of factly, “We have been causing trouble since the dawn of our existence. What’s getting in the way of you doing the same now?”

“I dunno,” he responded gruffly, “It’s just hard. Creative block?”

James was ready to crack a joke about how a few shots of firewhiskey always used to solve that problem but the glum look on his best friends face made him close his mouth. Maybe now wasn’t the time for a drink. But perhaps later in week would be the perfect time. 

“Look mate, it’ll be fine – you’re one of the best troublemakers I know, you probably just need some inspiration. Let’s go out later in the week – it’s my birthday next Friday remember, let’s hang out – just us – and get wasted.”

*

12th July, 21 years old

Fred gave James regular updates about how his pitch was developing. Everyone product that he proposed made James cringe but he couldn’t gather the courage to tell him how bad they were when his best friend seemed so motivated for once. James knew how badly Fred wanted to prove to his dad that he would be, one day, good enough to run the shop himself. And despite the flawed ideas he was putting forward – he was putting the work in. James hoped his Uncle George would see that.

looking forward to tonight mate – i’ll meet you after your shift (i’ve got a surprise)

James read the text over and over. He was working today and Fred knew that. James was currently kicking his feet up on a crate in the back room among the flowers. Over the past few weeks James had really taken to be surrounded by plant life. He wondered why he had never put any effort into Herbology – it was quite therapeutic really. He supposed that was Albus felt when he was working in the greenhouses at Hogwarts – James had heard that his little brother spent a lot of time there. And truthfully, James’ job had become awfully easy once he had dusted off one of his old Herbology textbooks that he found in a box in his new home. 

Reading that Fred would be picking James up at the end of his shift put him slightly on edge. Fred had already met Nova once, having stumbled in to collect James at the end of his shift – and James hadn’t been pleased with the outcome of the encounter.

*

8th July, 21 years old

James ambled out of the back-room fighting with the apron that hung around his neck which shielded his clothes from the dirt and sap of the flowers. His shift was nearly done and he was trying to build up the courage to say goodbye to Nova – properly. Since he figured out his fondness for his Muggle boss, James felt somewhat shy around the girl which was unusual for James to say the least. The past few days had been filled with awkward conversation and hesitant ‘hellos’ and rushed ‘goodbyes’. 

He was surprised to see his cousin leaning on the counter where Nova was stationed, looking particularly eager while she was flushed and arching away from Fred as subtly as possible.

“Fred?” James asked, disbelief drenching his words.

Fred turned to look at his cousin and gave him a cheesy grin. 

“Come on Jamie, we’ve got work to do.”

The curly haired boy winked at Nova before he gripped James by the arm and tugged him out of the shop, the bell tinkling as he did. 

“James – why didn’t you tell me your boss was so hot?”

Fred had droned on and on that day about Nova’s pretty hair, and pretty eyes which left James with an uncomfortable feeling in his abdomen. His jealousy had distracted him for so long that he had missed the teasing tone in his best friend’s voice. 

*

The memory triggered an uncomfortable twist in his stomach. 

James didn’t feel quite as excited as his cousin about tonight. Whatever surprise was in store he was sure he wouldn’t enjoy it. But at least he would be drunk.


End file.
